CFL Power Rankings: How the tables turn

| American Football | 08/14/2024

TORONTO — It was the very imitable Michael Scott, on the verge of convincing his former employer to buy out his independent paper company, who surmised a suddenly altered business landscape and dropped a mismatched pearl of wisdom that only he could: how the turn tables.

As we head into Week 11 of the season, the tables feel turned on CFL.ca’s Power Rankings presented by AMSOIL.

What we felt we knew going into the season in many ways was stood on its head; just when you feel like you may have gotten an understanding of the CFL landscape in 2024, the last few weeks have been rife with underdog wins, injuries changing teams’ trajectories and teams that you may have started to count out seemingly waking up and getting into striking distance of their competitors.

This applies to all but one of the teams in the league to this point: the Montreal Alouettes. The Als hold onto the top spot in the rankings for a second week in a row and for the seventh week of the season.

Let’s get into where the rest of the teams stand this week.

1. Montreal Alouettes (8-1)

Last Week: 1
Last Game: 33-23 win over Hamilton
Next Game: At Saskatchewan, Fri. Aug. 16

Worth noting: We’ll preface this with a big *so far*, but injuries — and there have been many — haven’t impacted the Als’ dominance this season. Davis Alexander has won all three of the games he’s played in, while Cody Fajardo has been sidelined and in the wake of Caleb Evans‘ season ending injury. While Tyson Philpot awaits results from the MRI he was due to get, the Als’ depth will once again be tested as another top-performer appears to be leaving the lineup for some time. So far, the Als have been able to respond. Charleston Rambo (124 receiving yards, two touchdowns) made a strong case last week that he can step in and keep the beat going for the league’s top team. Should Fajardo be ready to go this week, it will make for a great storyline, as he and head coach Jason Maas would make their return to Riderville.

2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3-1)

Last Week: 3
Last Game: 22-22 tie with Ottawa
Next game: Vs. Montreal, Friday, Aug. 16

Worth noting: Speaking of teams dealing with injuries, the Riders have been fighting their way through it of late, as well. Counting their tie from Week 10, they’ve gone 0-3-1 in their last four games. Thanks to the hard times that the BC Lions have fallen upon (more on that shortly), Shea Patterson and Co. still stand atop of a West Division that’s starting to feel like it’s about to be fully up for grabs. A Trevor Harris and AJ Ouellette return to the lineup — something that seems to be a possibility this week — could give the Riders the firepower they need to create a little distance between themselves and the competition.

3. Ottawa REDBLACKS (5-2-1)

Last Week: 4
Last Game: 22-22 tie with Saskatchewan
Next game: At Calgary, Thurs. Aug. 15

Worth noting: The REDBLACKS will be put to the test this week with Dru Brown set to miss some time, giving way to Jeremiah Masoli to get the start this week in Calgary. Prior to last week’s tie, the REDBLACKS had won three straight to settle into that second spot in the East Division. With the Argos on a bye week, the REDBLACKS have a chance to create a little room in the standings. To do that, they’d have to go into McMahon Stadium and pry out a win; at 4-0, the Stamps join the REDBLACKS as the league’s only teams in the league to not have lost at home in 2024.

4. BC Lions (5-4)

Last Week: 2
Last Game: 33-16 loss to Edmonton
Next game: Vs. Winnipeg, Sunday, Aug. 18

Worth noting: The Lions have run into their first stretch of real adversity this year, having dropped three straight games and we can say with great certainty the other eight teams in the league welcome it. The Lions no doubt miss Vernon Adams Jr., managing just 271 yards of net offence — with a touchdown on their opening drive and nothing after — in Sunday’s loss to the Edmonton Elks. The Lions have been out-scored 58-16 in last two games, while losing to the Elks and Blue Bombers, who have a combined 5-13 record. With another shot at the Bombers on Sunday, the Lions need a win to hold onto their second-place spot in a tightening West Division.

5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-6)

Last Week: 5
Last Game: 25-0 win over BC (Week 9)
Next game: At BC, Sunday, Aug. 18

Worth noting: The Bombers come out of their bye week with something to feel good about, having resoundingly beaten the Lions at Princess Auto Stadium in Week 9. As we wrote in the early days and weeks of the season, the Bombers’ slow start and subsequent low placement in these rankings didn’t rule them out from figuring things out and taking a run up the standings. It hasn’t been a smooth journey for them, but they sit just two points back of Calgary for the third playoff spot in the West and there’s still a lot of football to be played. The road has been unkind to the Bombers this year, as they sit at 0-4. That’ll have to change quickly for them if they’re going to continue to try to climb their way up the West Division ladder.

6. Toronto Argonauts (5-4)

Last Week: 8
Last Game: 39-25 win over Calgary
Next game: Vs. Saskatchewan, Thursday, Aug. 22

Worth noting: Nick Arbuckle threw for a touchdown and Ka’Deem Carey — both former Stampeders — ran one in for the Argos, but it was the other two phases of the game that really stood out for the Double Blue in Week 10. When you get defensive touchdowns, as DaShaun Amos (another former Stamp!) did, as part of a four turnover night and you get Janarion Grant‘s fourth (!) return touchdown of the season, you’ve got an excellent chance at winning. The Argos go into their bye week on a good note and will travel to Saskatchewan in Week 11, looking for just their second win streak of the season.

7. Edmonton Elks (2-7)

Last Week: 7
Last Game: 33-16 win over BC
Next game: At Hamilton, Saturday, Aug. 17

Worth noting: The Elks withstood losing Tre Ford in Sunday’s game and fought for their first home win of the season and their second overall, setting them on their first win streak of 2024. While we wait to see what Ford’s status is for Sunday’s game in Hamilton, the Elks (finally) have some momentum. Can they carry it into Tim Hortons Field, where the Tiger-Cats await with new starting QB Taylor Powell? Speaking of carrying, the Elks have 476 combined rushing yards in their last two games. That ground attack will be put to the test against a Ticats team that’s fourth in the league (97.1 yards per game) defending the run.

8. Calgary Stampeders (4-5)

Last Week: 6
Last game: 39-25 loss to Toronto
Next game: Vs. Ottawa, Thursday, Aug. 15

Worth noting: The Stamps didn’t play terribly in their loss to the Argos, but saw a productive offensive night (442 yards of net offence) fall to the wayside thanks to an Argos’ defensive unit that created and capitalized on turnovers. Stuck around the .500 mark all season, the Stamps can take solace in the fact that they’re headed back to McMahon Stadium to host the REDBLACKS this week and that the home cooking has been good for them, as they’ve built up a perfect 4-0 record at home. Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson admitted after the loss to the Argos that there may be a mental aspect for his group when they’re on the road. If they want to pounce on this suddenly open West Division, road wins will have to start to factor into the equation.

9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-7)

Last Week: 9
Last game: 33-23 loss to Montreal
Next game: Vs. Edmonton, Saturday, Aug. 17

Worth noting: The frustration was evident from Ticats’ head coach Scott Milanovich in the wake of his team’s seventh loss of the season on Saturday in Montreal. Taylor Powell seems to have been handed the torch, with the coach confirming that the second-year pivot will get the start against the Elks this week, after Bo Levi Mitchell was benched in the Ticats’ disastrous first quarter against the Als. Three games back of the Argos for third in the East and as the only team in the division with a sub-.500 record, the Ticats know they need to start to make up some ground if they want to get into the playoff conversation.

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